Together, these deals mean that Europe’s big energy companies want to return to business as usual with Russia, despite the continuing conflict in Ukraine and the EU’s continuing sanctions on Russia.

On measures including cash flow, profit margins and share prices, OAO Rosneft, Lukoil PJSC-- Russia’s two largest oil producers -- and OAO Gazprom Neft are performing better than Royal Dutch Shell Plc, BP Plc or Exxon Mobil Corp.

The deal with BASF gives Gazprom full control of a jointly operated European gas trading and storage business, the main strategic rationale.

The Turkish Stream project is a Russian proposal which will transport Russian gas to Europe while bypassing Ukraine. The project is planned to carry 63 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Europe via the Turkish-Greek border. Turkey is due to receive 15.75 billion cubic meters out of the total capacity of the pipeline.

U.S. Rig Count is down 13 rigs from last week to 864, with oil rigs down 13 to 662, gas rigs unchanged at 202, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 0.

German chemicals group BASF and Gazprom agreed to revive a deal that collapsed in late 2014 to swap gas assets that will see BASF exit gas trading and storage and the Russian energy giant expanding into Western Europe, BASF said on Friday.

German Ministry of Finance informed on 30 July that the Minister Wolfgang Schäuble would like to deprive the European Commission of part of its powers in two fields, namely antitrust proceedings and, currently particularly important for Germans, enforcing compliance with the budgetary discipline by the member states.

Profit attributable to owners of PJSC Gazprom for the six months ended June 30, 2015 totaled RUB 675,904 which is RUB 225,326 million, or 50 %, higher compared to the six months of the prior year.

Russian energy firms are weathering low oil prices and will continue to increase output in the next few years even if Saudi Arabia raises production to depress prices further, one of Russia's fastest growing oil companies says.

Net profit for the reporting period attributable to the shareholders of Gazprom Neft rose by 28.3% year-on-year to 112.4 RUB bln.